Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools

Arizona has several laws related to pesticide applications in or around schools. There are laws creating restricted spray zones near schools (to prevent pesticide drift onto school property). Schools must receive notification of any pesticide applications (indoor or outdoor) 72 hours in advance, then again immediately before application. In turn, schools are required to notify parents and staff within 48 hours of the application. Currently, there are no laws restricting use of specific pesticides in schools, and Arizona does not require integrated pest management in schools. Nonetheless, some schools have opted to implement IPM policies. A summary of IPM programsunderway,
as well as school-related pesticide laws, is available online.

Urban IPM in Schools
IPM in Schools Project is aimed at offering a better alternative to the traditional chemical calendar spraying currently used by many school districts in Arizona. The initial pilot program has involved three schools in the Kyrene School District, Maricopa County, Arizona. The program mid term evaluation established a greater than 90% reduction in pesticide use and a dramatic (estimated 85%) reduction of pests in all three schools. The IPM program was instigated at a similar cost to the preceding chemically based program and has since been expanded to all the Kyrene district schools.

Pesticide Use Reporting

Arizona has limited pesticide use reporting. Records of applications of restricted pesticides are kept on file for two years and are compiled by sectors. Information about a specific field is not available. The Department of Agriculture puts out some statistics related to monthly usage patterns, but there is no statewide database of pesticide applications.

Pesticide Illness Reporting

Acute pesticide illness is a reportable disease in Arizona. Physicians are required to notify the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) within 24 hours of seeing a patient with suspected pesticide poisoning. ADHS publishes an annual report of Lead and Pesticide Poisoningsthroughout the state.